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Drones, Mangroves and Carbon Superpowers
- Science & Nature
- Conservation
- Environment
Mangroves have been drawing increasing global attention for a quiet superpower: the ability to store up to five times more carbon than tropical forests. While coastal development, uncontrolled aquaculture, sea-level rise and warming temperatures have all contributed to the 35 percent decline in mangrove forests worldwide since the 1970s, government agencies, scientists and local communities are increasingly rallying to protect and replant mangroves. One group is taking restoration to notably new heights.
Learn moreCovering 75 Years of Science & Innovation
Science & Nature
Through astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and technology our cover stories have shined a light on scientific traditions and innovations, specifically those from the greater Islamic world.Covering 75 Years of Nature
Science & Nature
In over seven decades, we have strived to establish a connection between nature and cultures. Through cover stories about species, habitats and conservation efforts in lands far from their own, readers have gained insight into the natural world.The Promises and Challenges of AI for Arabic
Science & Nature
While artificial intelligence tools can enhance efficiency, customer engagement and communications, many specialists find AI lacking when they need to converse in languages with multiple dialects, such as Arabic. With public and private sectors alike requiring Arabic, efforts are underway to advance AI’s accessibility and application.Reflections of Knowledge
History
Science & Nature
Part 3 of our series celebrating AramcoWorld’s 75th anniversary highlights the magazine’s emphasis on experts and institutions that push the boundaries of present-day knowledge while paying homage to historical figures and writings that paved their way.Deep Dive With Eric Hanauer
Science & Nature
Underwater photographer and writer Eric Hanauer’s work for AramcoWorld exposed an entirely new audience to the rich marine life of the Red Sea. From his home in California, he reflects on his four-plus-decade career.Can Fig Trees Help Us Adapt To A Changing Climate?
Science & Nature
Tunisia, where figs are one of the signature crops, has been an integral part of a just-concluded Mediterranean research project, FIGGEN, to assess how the trees thrive while climate changes are causing other crops to fail. For nearly four years scientists have worked to identify specific genetic traits that enable figs’ resilience and which varieties cope best with heat and drought. When FIGGEN publishes the results, farmers concerned for their future livelihoods may choose to grow the most promising types. Additionally, the study aims to plant a seed for preserving the biodiversity of increasingly arid ecosystems.Drones, Mangroves and Carbon Superpowers
Science & Nature
Mangroves have been drawing increasing global attention for a quiet superpower: the ability to store up to five times more carbon than tropical forests. While coastal development, uncontrolled aquaculture, sea-level rise and warming temperatures have all contributed to the 35 percent decline in mangrove forests worldwide since the 1970s, government agencies, scientists and local communities are increasingly rallying to protect and replant mangroves. One group is taking restoration to notably new heights.Pistachios' History of Graft
Food
Science & Nature
Stimulated most recently by nutrition studies and marketing, pistachios are more available worldwide than ever. But today’s efforts are possible only thanks to patient bioengineering some 3,000 years ago.Reviving Eden
History
Science & Nature
Until the 1990s, the reed marshes of Iraq were Eurasia's most extensive wetlands, with a unique ecology that supported the Marsh Arabs' distinctive way of life. Then the marshes were drained and the people scattered. Azzam of Alwash, the emigré son of an Iraqi hydrologist, now works with international aid groups and Iraqi authorities to restore the desiccated marshlands. Reeds are sprouting, birds and fish are returning-and so are people. "A 7000-year-old culture doesn't die in a decade, he says.The Return of the Karabakh Horse
Science & Nature
Strength, speed and a lustrous coat made the Karabakh horse a symbol of status, power and beauty in its native Azerbaijan, and beyond. Wars over the past century nearly eliminated them, but now breeders are steadily restoring their numbers.The Mysteries of the Mustatils
History
Science & Nature
In northwest Saudi Arabia, scattered across an area twice the size of Portugal, archeolog|sts and aerial surveyors have identified more than 1,000 roughly built, low, rectangular stone structures that date back 7,000 years to an era when today's deserts were savannas. These mustatils-"rectangle" in Arabic-have been long-known to regional tribes, and in 2018 archeologists began to investigate and excavate. Discoveries of animal bones and horns point toward ritual purposes. The great number of mustatils may be evidence of population and social organization. But why are there so many-and in so many different places? While no two are quite the same in length and width, all are close in height and shape. Amid more questions than clues, archeologists continue to dig.Ibn al-Haytham: Testing is Believing
Science & Nature
Joining math, physics and real-world tests, Abu 'Ali al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham, who worked in 10th-century Iraq, pioneered not only optics but also empirical science itself.